The water system at a state-run Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy, where 13 people have died of Legionnaires’ disease may never be fully cleansed of the bacteria, according to an article on the WBEZ website.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encouraged the state to undertake a series of new precautions to prevent more Legionnaires’ cases at the 132-year-old healthcare facility, but admitted there were no guarantees.
“While adoption of these recommendations should further reduce risk, the possibility .... cannot be eliminated,” the CDC said in a report released by Illinois public health authorities.
Some of the recommendations focused on the many unprotected sinks in the facility. The agency advised the state to outfit every sink faucet with special filters designed to capture Legionella, like those now on shower heads.
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